GHA presented its prestigious Legislator of the Year Award to Georgia State Sen. Dean Burke (R-Bainbridge). The award recognizes an outstanding legislator who, through his or her efforts in the Georgia General Assembly, promotes legislation that helps ensure health care access for every Georgian and demonstrates support of GHA’s legislative goals.

As vice chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and chairman of the Senate Health Subcommittee of Appropriations, Sen. Burke supported state budget increases in emergency department reimbursement, including a 20 percent increase and 40 percent increase for urban and rural hospitals, respectively. He was also instrumental in raising the Rural Hospital Tax Credit to 90 percent from 70 percent during the 2017 Georgia General Assembly Session and then to 100 percent during the 2018 Session. The tax credit recently reached its full donation cap for the first time and will greatly help rural hospitals and the patients and communities they serve.

Sen. Burke is also the chief medical officer of Memorial Hospital and Manor in Bainbridge, where he oversees medical staff affairs and employed physicians and physician practices.